Curtain fixture



Patented May 31, 1927.

Lfruvrns n. BoYn, or cHroAGo, ILLrNoIs, A'ssIeNoR-'To JAMES n. BOYE MANUFACTUR- ING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION F ILLINOIS.

CURTAIN FIXTURE.'

Application filed March 8, 1926. Serial No. 93,002.

This invention relates to household X- tures employed to support curtains, portires, drapes, and the like, and 'has reference more especially to thatftype of iixture wherein the curtain, yportiere or drape is suspended from the rod or pole bya series of rings or other carriers Vslidably mounted on the rod or pole, and generally known as draw curtains.

Draw curtain fixtures are commonly equipped wit-h pull cords that are connected to the inner or centra-l carriers, in case of double or dividedcurtains, and-to one ofthe endcarriers inthe case of a single curtain, and are trained over suitable guide pulleys at the ends of the-rod or pole, to effectthe drawing of the curtain or portire to open and closed positions. 1These drawfcords and their supporting and guiding devices con-v stitute a considerable part of the total cost of t-he fixture, and furthermore are unsightly and more or yless inthe way. An important object of the present invention is to simplify and improve curtain fixtures of this general type by doing away entirely with the pull cords and their accessories, and substituting therefor a simple easily operated attachment oraccessory by which t-he curtain or drape can be readily pushed open or drawn closed even when, vas is usually the :ase,t-he rod o-r pole is considerablyab'ove the reach of the operator standing on the floor. Another object is to provide a curtain operating device lwhich may be permanently attached to the curtain carrier or-curtain or bot-h, and shall be practically concealed from view;

Other objects and attendant,advantages of the invention will be apparent'to persons familiar with devices of this character from the following detailed description, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing inwhich I have illustratedone y practical and approved embodimentv of the invention, and wherein Fig. 1 is a front elevation of my improved curtain fixture showing the upper edge portions o'f a pair of curtains suspended therefrom.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the left hand portion of Fig. 1, showing the left hand curtain pushed vto open position; Y

F ig. 3 is an enlarged rear elevation ofy a fragment of the curtain'rod and onekof the inner carriers or hangers thereon, showing one manner of attaching` the curtain manipu# lat-ing rod or bar to the carrier; Y 4 is a cross-section on the fline 4-4 of Fig. '3; and i f Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross-section on the line 55 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, l0 and 11 designate respectively the inner and outer telescoping sections of a curtain rod of the well-known hollow flat type, and '12 designates brackets on which the elbow-shaped ends of the rod sections ,10 and 1l are mounted and supported. 13 designates each of a pair of mating curtainsvhich vare suspended at their upper ends fromthe. curtain rod by means of oblong fla-t rings or Ahangers 14 which are formed with eyes 15 at their lower ends to which theupper edges ofthe curtains l13 are attached as by stitching 16.

In the structure herein illustrated, the

-hangers or carriers 14 are formed on their upper ends with shoes or skids 17 that slidi'nglyrest on the upper edge of the rod and are formed with 'longitudinally convex inner surfacesbearing on the rod, so that the said skids will readily mount and slide over the end of the outer rod section and, when the curtain is drawn to open position, will partially sta-ck up on each other in the manner illustrated in F ig. 2. This feature `forms in part the subjectmatter of a former application heretoforejfiledby me on the 17th day of January, 1925, Serial No. 2,977, andrforms no part of the present invention, for the carrying out of which any suitable or approved rings `or vother carriers maybe used.

"In accordance with my present'invention I provide in or behind the upper portion of the inner edge of each curtain 13 ardepending rod or bar, preferably of metal, that is attached at its upper end to the innermost curtain ring or carrier and depends to a position wherein its lower end is readily within vthe reach of a person standing o-n the'floor;

so that,` grasping thelower end 'of said Y Yrod or bar, thelring or carrier to' which the' swaged down over theeye 2O therebyrs'e-` virfcarrier;

` For the proper'manipulation of the curmostcurtain carrier orf.vringr14l1 so astobe :eitheruigidiyorflexibly vconnected to the H latter.;y v,Inl thedra-Wings I'have shown/theV depending' shankfofjthefhanger apertured for the stitching of the curtain thereto; *andthej ,'.aperturejor'eyeis formed'r by a punch, vwhichV eXtrudes-themetal on one side of? the eye Vin the'formgof ai'ing l9; and on the upperend of L'the rod! 18is Vvformed. an eye 20 which onto the ringv 19 the "latter ismashedor curely locking 'the l rod` 'tou the hangerr`r or tai-n lin-openingfand closing the same, means must be provided 'for locking the upperA end of the ,outer edgejoi' tliejcurtain against 1n- Ward sliding .movement along the r.od. A

simple vdetachable device for-accomplishing i Yconsists offan inverted' U-shaped*y clamp 21 `offspring metal which is causedto straddle 'and' grip` the curtain. rod adjacent tothe elbow bend of the latter, the vlower ends of the clamp being outwardly splayed asshovvn at 21 in Fior. `5and havin@ a s read slifrhtlf f inexcess kof the outside VWidth of thehangers. The outermost hangeris 'located just in rear LV`foi: said clamp, so that the spreadY endsof the latter act asstops tofpre'vent the inward f rslidingoi the-.outermost hanger. vvhen. the Y curtain; 1s drawn-inwardly toward closed 'j position.k v Y i 1 l The manner of manipulating the device Will'be readily apparent from the foregoing description of, its structural features. As#

vsuming thatlthecurtains-'are in closed position as shovvninllig. ll and-1t isy desired ,to openthem, the user merely grasps-the lower ends of the-rods 18k andby aV quick deft outn ','Ward pushV alongthe curtain rod,',the entire J 'i series of hangers are movedfalongftheflatter,

creating they usual-folds in the, curtainas Ashownin vFigg;Y 'loclosethe curtainpfthe Y rods are grasped inthe same mannen and Vdra-Wn or pushed'finwardlyuntil ythe f inner 'f' edges Aof the 'curtain approximately meet',V the if stops at the outerlends of the yrod detaining scribed; 1, Y embraces the ring Y19, this latter being pref- '1 erably formed on the rear Vsidevof the shank. ofthe carrnn.Y lThe eyej20h1avingbeen fitted the outermost hangers, A andthe remaining hangers sliding` over thev rodunder the pull ofthe upper edge of the cuitainfV It Will thus be seen that .the device ollt'he;` l y Y Y present l invention renders VWholly yunnecesf 'sary Athe use of the usual drawcords with` ing movements ofthejcurtain can .be effected Withequalicert'aintygand'fcelerity by'a person v f standing onthe floor;` rlhe rods or barsy 18 Y t. s i011 their 'guiding and vsupporting accessories@` 'A l. and `substitutes a `very simplevinexp'ens'ive n.

-manually operable device by Which-the slid `nay`,"olfcourse, be of any leng'th','depending on the -jheight of the' curtain rod above they oor, andvvhilel have shown the rods disposedwithin iarthem in the'fcurtaimit is manifestt'hatitheyyfmay be;leeatedg-bhindi y K tlieinneredge of the curtain `andi:'stitched'or y l Otherwise' attached at' CllQLfrv more Vpoint'stoV fthe Vlatter,'being y.in thatL case, vequallyfoon*. *Y

ceale'd,V ancla-,operable in I the i; manner de;

, VI *i have `rhereinshown and' described' one y very simple and practical embodiment odi the principi@ of the invention,rbutais manifeaj f vtlnatthe details may be variously-modified .Within ythe principlev of thefinventionand Without gsacriiicingany ofV the advantages f thereoivlor? instance,v the laterally lshiftLi Y s, able :curtain operating member maybeY a Y rod,` bar or strip of any material either r'rigid oriiexiblebut.suiicentlystrong to.\push`or -.dra\v thecurtainunder a flateral thrusto'f I Ythe hand applied togitsgloiver end; Hence,`v

Indo; not limit the :invention vtoftheispeciic embodiment; thereoiiherein ,Y presented V forV the sprit and J'purvievv of the appended islam-ff K Y l.4 In afcurtain",iixture'of the type Y Y lio'v purposes'ofillustration,V but reserve'all such variations and modifications lasV falli Within v a curtain ro'dand acurtainsuspended from y' the rod by hangers fslidable on. therod,l the combination Withan endhanger, of astrip attached-to anjedge ofthe curtain-beneath said end hangerfand extending vto Within reach'oif al person on'the noor, said strip being suiciently'stiffyto adapt it,y by manual siderthrust appliedto the lowerendthereof, to push and dran/'the hangers along'the rod.

2.l In acurtain 'iXture of thetype having curtain rod and a curtainV suspended from .the rod by 4*hangers slildable onthefrOd, the ikcombinationwith anfendihanger, cfa strip attached to said,y end hanger and extending:

manual side thrusts'appliedgtothe lower end thereof, to push Land vdiavv the hangers along `'3; In a lcurtainfixture of the type having Y12o" to Withinl reach of a personpnthefloonisaid strip being sufficiently ,stiff to adapt :.tj, by

a curtain rod and a curtain suspended from Y Y the; rodi-'by :hangers Sldable' 011. the.; rod,- the 4 combination With an end hanger, of a strip attached to said end hanger and to the mergnal portion of the curtain beneath said end hanger and extending to Within reach of a person on the floor, said strip being` Suiiiciently strong' to push and draw Jche hangers over the rod under manual side Jthrusts applied to its lower end.

4:. A specific embodiment of claim 2, wherein the hanger-operating strip is so disposed asto be Concealed by the curtain. n

5. A. specic embodiment of claim 2, wherein the hanger-operating strip Consists of L rod enclosed in a hem on the edge of the curtain.

JAMES I-I. BOYE. 

